Tips for finding the right electric guitar
Know your tone
What types of electric tones do you crave? While many electric guitars can cover a range of musical genres, it helps to know what style of music you’ll be playing, whether it’s rock, jazz, blues, rockabilly, metal or something in-between.
Body Types: Solid, Semi-hollow, or Hollow
Taylor's electric line covers three basic guitar categories, each with a distinctive body design:
A solidbody guitar may feature a solid "slab" of wood (Taylor SolidBody Classic) or a chambered body (Taylor SolidBody Standard). Creating chambers in a solid slab lightens the body weight. At Taylor, we've applied our acoustic expertise to the chambering process to enhance the sustain. In general, a solidbody electric is considered a rock guitar. With the SolidBody's flexible ordering options, you can choose the looks and tonal flavors you want for a perfect fit.
Learn more about the Taylor SolidBody »
Semi-hollowbody guitars typically have a center block running the length of the body, with two hollow chambers on either side. Electric players who crave a deeper, rounder tone will find themselves at home with this body style. The semi-hollow design yields a guitar that fits comfortably in both the rock and jazz worlds. With an iconic Bigsby vibrato tailpiece, our semi-hollow T3/B is perfect for a rockabilly sound.
Learn more about the Taylor T3 »
A fully hollowbody design has a thinner body depth than an acoustic guitar, and is suited for both amplified acoustic and electric music. The Taylor T5 takes full advantage of this by incorporating both acoustic and electric guitar pickups, making it an ultra-versatile hybrid that lets you blend acoustic and electric tones with the flick of a switch.
Learn more about the Taylor T5 »
Pickups
After body style, the most important decision is your choice of pickups. This is where a lot of the tonal personality of an electric guitar comes from. All Taylor electrics feature proprietary pickups, offered in a variety of styles and configurations, including high-definition and high-gain humbuckers, single coils, and more. Some Taylor electrics, like the T5, come with a specific pickup combination, while others, like the SolidBody, are modular, allowing you to choose from an array of pickup configurations to create your own custom palette of tones.
Learn more about SolidBody pickups »
Learn more about T3 pickups »
Learn more about T5 pickups »
Other Features
Once you have the major categories settled, a host of additional features will help you select a guitar that sounds, looks and feels great. Choose from different wood and color options. Do you want a single or double cutaway? How about a whammy bar? The options can be subtle or over-the-top, depending on how you want to express yourself musically.
Learn more about SolidBody features »
Learn more about T3 features »
Learn more about T5 features »
